The Lizzie Line And Circle/District Line Interchange At Paddington – 1st July 2022
This morning I wanted to go between Moorgate and Victoria stations.
It is a journey that can be done in any number of ways.
- Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan Line to King’s Cross St. Pancras and then change to the Victoria Line.
- Northern Line to King’s Cross St. Pancras and then change to the Victoria Line.
- Northern Line to Euston and then change to the Victoria Line. This can be a cross-platform interchange.
- Northern City Line to Highbury & Islington and then change to the Victoria Line. This is not an easy interchange.
- Northern Line to Bank and the change to the Circle or District Line.
- Circle or Hammersmith & City to Paddington and then change to the Circle or District Line. This interchange involves a walk all the way across Paddington station.
- 21, 43 or 141 bus to Monument and the change to the Circle or District Line.
If you’re lucky and time it right, you can get a direct Circle Line train, which run at a frequency of six trains per hour (tph).
The Elizabeth Line has opened up another way.
The Elizabeth Line is taken to Paddington and then you walk up the side of the station to the Circle/District Line entrance on the other side of Praed Street from the National Rail station.
These pictures show my walk at Paddington station.
Note.
- It is an immaculate step-free climb out of the Elizabeth Line station.
- Once at station level, it is a walk up a gentle incline the the Circle/District Line station.
- There are shops; including Boots, M & S and Sainsburys, and toilets just inside Paddington station, as you walk beside the station.
- There are stairs to walk down to the Circle/District Line platforms.
I walked the transfer in under ten minutes. From Moorgate to Victoria took 38 minutes.
I feel that this route has advantages for many travellers.
- The Elizabeth Line currently has 12 tph through Paddington.
- When the Elizabeth Line is fully connected up in Autumn 2022, there will be 22 tph, through Paddington.
- The convenient shops and toilets will be welcomed by many.
- It is an easier route, than accessing the Circle/District Line station from inside the main station.
The Lawn, which has shops and cafes, would also be a good place to meet friends, family or a business colleague or client.
Moorgate And Victoria Via The Circle Line
I did this route on the 5th of July, after waiting ten minutes for a Circle Line train. It took me 23 minutes.
Call For Rail Sector To Mobilise To Get Ukrainian Agricultural Exports Moving
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Rail has a central role in the European Commission’s plan to establish ‘Solidarity Lanes’ for the transport of Ukrainian agricultural exports which would normally use the Black Sea ports that are being blockaded by Russia.
Announcing its plan, the commission said the Russian blockade is threatening global food security, creating an urgent need for alternative transport routes. Ukraine is the largest exporter of sunflower oil (50% of world exports), the third largest of rapeseed (20%) and barley (18%), the fourth of maize (16%) and the fifth of wheat (12%).
It certainly is a big problem and not just for Ukraine, but for any country that habitually buys these agricultural products from Ukraine.
But it will probably require a lot of investment to solve.
These are points from the article.
- Trains handling 1,400 tonnes are possible.
- The average waiting time for wagons at the Ukrainian border is sixteen days.
- The capacity of existing freight corridors must be expanded and new ones must be created.
After reading the whole article, it does seem that an EU plan is being created.
I have my thoughts.
Gauge Change
Consider.
- There will be a gauge change between standard and Russian gauge.
- Spanish company; Talgo has developed the technology, so that trains can run on both gauges and even change between gauges at a slow speed.
- The technology is used on the Strizh train, which runs passenger services between Berlin and Moscow via Warsaw.
I feel it is likely, that Talgo could develop freight wagons to move the agricultural products between Ukraine and ports in Poland or Germany.
Talgo’s Plans
In A Spaniard In The Works!, I outlined Talgo’s plans, which included building a factory at Longannet in Scotland.
But their plans must have been disrupted, as the company did not secure the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible rolling stock contract.
On the other hand Longannet could be an ideal place to build trains for Eastern Europe. They could go on a ferry to Gdansk, Helsinki or other ports.
Marks And Spencer’s Chicken Kiev Has Been Renamed Chicken Kyiv
I took this picture in Marks and Spencer at Liverpool Street tonight! Note the name!
I didn’t buy one as it isn’t gluten-free.
There have been lots of articles like this one on Birmingham Live, which is entitled Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda Under Pressure To Rename Chicken Kievs ‘Kyiv’.
So perhaps, pressure works.
A Gluten-Free Sandwich In Costa
Costa announced a couple of months ago, that they would be selling M & S Food.
Even so, I was still surprised to find this gluten-free sandwich in Costa at Paddington station.
I actually prefer their egg sandwiches, as for some reason egg sandwich fillings seem to go well with gluten-free bread.
Consortium Plan To Build & Operate Scotland’s First Low Carbon, Energy Efficient, Soil-Free Vertical Farms In The Central Belt
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from RheEnergise.
These four paragraphs introduce the project.
A consortium of four British companies have earmarked a series of sites between Dumbarton and Dundee for the locations of Scotland’s next generation of hectare+ scale vertical farms, powered by 100% Scottish renewables. These farms would provide locally produced fresh foods (salads and fruits) to over 60% of the Scottish population.
The vertical farms will help meet the Scottish Government’s ambitions to produce more homegrown fruit and vegetables. Each vertical farm would be powered by locally produced renewable energy.
Next generation vertical farms use advanced soil-free growing techniques and stack crops in specially designed beds and trays. They minimise water, fertiliser and pesticide use which is highly beneficial to the environment and make use of artificial lighting and climate control to get the desired results.
The V-FAST consortium comprises UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT), Vertegrow Ltd, Light Science Technologies Ltd and RheEnergise Limited, the UK energy storage company.
The press release is certainly worth a detailed read.
Now That’s What I Call A Mission Statement!
This is a paragraph from the Comment in the Business section of today’s times, with the heading of Mission Statement.
Rousing stuff from Astarta, a Ukrainian agri-group listed in Warsaw spanning sugar, milk and soya beans. Having secured extra financing for the “spring planting” season, its latest update underlines a commitment to “maintaining food security and rebuilding the national economy”. The sign-off? Well, not your typical corporate speak: “We believe in the army of Ukraine! We believe in Ukraine! We believe in our Victory!”
Companies love mission statements. Surely, this is one of the best.
Slava Ukraini!
EMR Refine Its All Day Complimentary Food Menu For First Class Customers
The title of this post, is the same as that as this press release from East Midlands Railway.
This is the details.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) has refined it’s all day complimentary food menu for its First Class Intercity customers, offering a range of options – no matter what time they choose to travel.
The changes will mean, instead of a small number of services offering complimentary food in the morning, the company will now offer a range of free food and drink items on all its longer distance Intercity services, all day, Monday to Saturday, with plans to extend the offer to Sundays in the future.
Customers travelling First Class during the morning will now be able to choose a hot complimentary bacon or sausage ciabatta, porridge, or a vegan breakfast burrito. While in the afternoon, they will be offered a chilled sandwich, wrap or salad, or the choice of a gluten free meal or vegan option.
Next time, I go to Nottingham, I’ll go First.
The Joy Of Freedom
I set out my views on masks in the title of Should We Be Given More Discretion Over Mask Wearing?.
Today was the first Friday under the relaxed rules on masks, when I have done my pre-weekend Friday morning routine.
- Take a bus and a Northern Line train or a direct bus to Moorgate.
- Have a Full English breakfast in Leon.
- Visit Marks & Spencer on Moorgate and get my weekend food.
These are my comments on today’s trip.
- I rode the bus to Angel without a mask and had a pleasant chat with a lady of my age about Putin.
- We felt that the Brutus solution for Vlad the Poisoner would be best!
- On the train between Angel and Moorgate stations, I was the only passenger not wearing a mask.
- It was easy to walk up the steps at Moorgate station.
- Leon was busy, with about half of customers and all staff wearing masks.
- Marks was about half full and it was nice to be able to shop wearing my glasses, which don’t fit my mask.
- I should say, that I need my glasses to read sell-by dates.
- There were no naked faces on the bus home.
It was such a joy for me, to be able to travel and do my shopping without a mask.
But then at no time, was I in a crowd, which might have made me reach for my mask.
Conclusion
I doubt at no time, I’ll go back to full-time mask wearing.
Incidentally, I used to have a racehorse called Joy of Freedom.
False Banana: Is Ethiopia’s Enset ‘Wondercrop’ For Climate Change?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Scientists say the plant enset, an Ethiopian staple, could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change.
A new study is saying, that the plant could be used to feed 100 million people in a warming world.
It looks like the study was done in an Ethiopian University, which is surely a heartwarming thing.
This is said about how enset is used for food.
Enset or “false banana” is a close relative of the banana, but is consumed only in one part of Ethiopia.
The banana-like fruit of the plant is inedible, but the starchy stems and roots can be fermented and used to make porridge and bread.
I’m not sure, but I seem to remember that porridge is a major food in Africa.
It is certainly a fascinating good news story. in several ways from Africa.
I Don’t Generally Take Pain Killers
I have taken pain killers rarely in my life, but only when I get serious pain.
But since the cataract operation, I have felt a bit of light pain in my left eye.
So I’ve resorted to taking three of these large pain-killers.
Usually, I dunk them in a cup of tea.
I’ve always liked ginger and they have been my favourite biscuits since I was about six.
I also used to see a Jamaican nurse in a former GP practice for my B12 injections and she was fulsome in her praise for the spice and what it can do.
Dr. Google also finds evidence that they help.
However, who cares, so long as I think they work.
The Anonymous Widower 